Gitnux/Report 2026

Corn Industry Statistics

The global corn market was valued at $297.27 billion in 2023, explore corn growth, company focus, and trends through 2026 figures.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Corn Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

Search agents collect the source set and pull each data point out with its provenance attached.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The corn industry at a glance

Corn remains one of the world’s largest agricultural commodity industries, with global production forecast at 1.32 billion metric tons in the 2026/27 marketing year.

1.32B metric tons[86]
Global production, 2026/27
$297.27B[95]
Global market size, 2023
432.3M metric tons[96]
U.S. corn production, 2025
36%[97]
U.S. corn use for ethanol, 2024/25
Market size
The global corn market was valued at $297.27 billion in 2023. Separately, USDA forecasts world corn production at 1,320.5 million metric tons for the 2026/27 marketing year.[95][86]
Forecast & CAGR
Grand View Research projects the global corn market to reach $377.27 billion by 2030, implying a 3.6% compound annual growth rate from 2024 to 2030. USDA forecasts 2026/27 global production broadly above the 2025/26 level, at 1,320.5 million metric tons versus 1,319.1 million metric tons.[95][86]
Market share & regions
The United States is forecast to export 83.0 million metric tons of corn in 2026/27, ahead of Argentina and Brazil at 41.0 million metric tons each. USDA Economic Research Service data indicate that the United States and Brazil together accounted for 58% of global corn trade in 2025/26.[86][2]
Segmentation
Corn demand is segmented primarily into animal feed, fuel ethanol, food, seed and industrial uses. In the United States, feed typically represents about 40% of domestic corn use, while fuel ethanol accounted for 36% of total use in 2024/25; wet milling produces starch, sweeteners, corn oil, alcohol and other ingredients.[2][97]
Key players & concentration
The United States remains the leading corn-producing, consuming and exporting country, with 330.3 million metric tons of production forecast for 2026/27. Global export supply is concentrated among the United States, Argentina and Brazil, which together are forecast to account for approximately 165 million metric tons of 2026/27 exports.[86][2]
Pricing
Corn pricing remains sensitive to production, stocks, fertilizer costs and export demand. USDA ERS reported that U.S. corn production costs rose sharply in 2022, while higher corn prices partly offset those costs in 2023; average corn producers earned only about $11.60 per acre above total costs in 2023.[2]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Key growth drivers are livestock feed demand, fuel ethanol, exports and expanded processing capacity. Major challenges include weather volatility, rising input costs, transportation constraints and elevated inventories; U.S. corn stocks on September 1, 2026, were 2.10 billion bushels, up 35% from a year earlier.[2][1]
Consumer behavior & competition
Demand is divided between feed, fuel and food-industrial applications rather than direct household consumption. Mexico, Japan and Colombia were the three largest destinations for U.S. corn export commitments in the USDA report for the week ending October 29, 2026, while major processors compete through scale, logistics, ethanol coproducts and specialty ingredients.[57][2]
M&A
Bunge agreed in April 2025 to sell its North American dry corn and corn masa milling businesses to Grain Craft. In November 2026, The Andersons announced a $915 million acquisition of Harvestone Low Carbon Partners, adding ethanol plants that process about 72 million bushels of corn annually.[22][98]
Regulation
U.S. corn demand is strongly influenced by the Renewable Fuel Standard. EPA’s final 2026 and 2027 standards include renewable-fuel volume requirements of 26.81 billion gallons and 27.02 billion gallons, respectively, while maintaining a 15-billion-gallon conventional biofuel level for both years.[99]
Latest news
The latest USDA data show U.S. old-crop corn stocks reached 2.10 billion bushels on September 1, 2026, up 35% year over year. USDA’s October 2026 global outlook forecasts 2026/27 world production at 1,320.5 million metric tons and U.S. exports at 83.0 million metric tons.[1][86]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Corn Industry

The leading companies in the corn industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Cargill stands out for grain trading, processing and products because it connects farmers with markets and produces food, feed and agricultural products, while Bunge focuses on global grain merchandising and agricultural processing since it reports 2.2% operating margin.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in grain merchandising & processing

    Cargill

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.5 · Grain merchandising & processing

    Why we picked it: Cargill’s focus on food, feed and agricultural products is supported by 6.5% revenue growth.

    See in ranking ↓Visit cargill.com ↗

  2. Leader in corn seed & crop genetics

    Corteva

    US

    Ranked #3 · 8.9 · Corn seed & crop genetics

    Why we picked it: Corteva reports $7.002 billion in 2025 sales from corn products and allocates 8% of revenue to R&D.

    See in ranking ↓Visit corteva.com ↗

  3. Leader in corn ethanol & bioproducts

    POET

    US

    Ranked #4 · 8.8 · Corn ethanol & bioproducts

    Why we picked it: POET bioprocessing plants buy corn and produce ethanol, feed ingredients and renewable products.

    See in ranking ↓Visit poet.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the corn industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Cargill

Grain merchandising & processing · US

9.5
2

Bunge

Grain merchandising & processing · US

9.2
3

Corteva

Corn seed & crop genetics · US

8.9
4

POET

Corn ethanol & bioproducts · US

8.8
5

Roquette

Corn starch & plant ingredients · FR

8.7
6

Syngenta Group

Corn seed, traits and crop protection · CH

8.7
7

Tate & Lyle

Corn sweeteners, starches and fibres · GB

8.7
8

Bayer

Corn seed, traits and crop protection · DE

8.5
9

KWS

Corn seed breeding and production · DE

8.4
10

ADM

Corn merchandising, milling, starches and ethanol · US

8.3

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 10 companies in the corn industry. In Corn Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/corn-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest corn companies

Cargill leads with $164.0B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

Cargill$164.0B
ADM$80.3B
Bayer$49.2B
Bunge$36.3B
Syngenta Group$28.4B
Corteva$17.4B
source-verifiedcargill.com · sec.gov · reports.bayer.com · investors.bunge.com · syngentagroup.com2026

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Corn decision and farm-data work shows measurable accuracy: U.S. corn-yield prediction runs in 2026 report R² values from 0.79 to 0.85 across multiple models. Adoption signals also point to variable-rate use at 32% of midsize farms in 2023.

AI in the corn industry

  • 0.79 was the R² achieved by the decision-tree model for U.S. corn-yield prediction in 2026.[1]
  • 0.83 was the R² achieved by the gradient-boosting model for U.S. corn-yield prediction in 2026.[1]
  • 0.19 was the XGBoost feature-importance score for soil sand percentage in U.S. corn-yield prediction in 2026.[1]
  • 0.85 was the coefficient of determination for the linear regression model in a 2026 U.S. corn-yield prediction study.[1]
  • 0.84 was the R² achieved by the extra-trees model for U.S. corn-yield prediction in 2026.[1]
  • 0.83 was the R² achieved by the random-forest model for U.S. corn-yield prediction in 2026.[1]

Automation in the corn industry

  • 32% of midsize U.S. crop-producing farms used variable-rate technology in 2023.[2]
  • 45% of large-scale U.S. crop-producing farms used variable-rate technology in 2023.[2]
  • 7% of U.S. corn-planted acres used drone, aircraft or satellite imagery in 2016.[3]
  • More than 5 million acres were covered by John Deere Harvest Settings Automation in fiscal 2025.[4]
  • Over 90% was John Deere’s first-year take rate for Harvest Settings Automation on North American combines in fiscal 2025.[4]
  • 70% of large-scale U.S. crop-producing farms used guidance autosteering in 2023.[2]

Digital Transformation in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across the EU agri-food industrial ecosystem, 20% of companies had a concrete digital-transformation strategy in 2024.[5]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 51.2% had very low digital intensity in 2023, down from 55.1% in 2021.[5]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 3.4% had very high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 2.1% in 2021.[5]
  • In the United States, 61% of farmers reported adopting digital agronomy technologies in 2024.[6]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 15.4% had high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 13.0% in 2021.[5]

Technology Adoption in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • In Czechia, 30% of crop-production farmers used at least one precision-agriculture technology in 2023.[7]
  • In Germany, 85.5% of surveyed farms used at least one digital technology in 2024–2025.[7]
  • Across EU farms with utilised agricultural area, about 18% used some form of precision-farming technology or practice in 2023.[7]
  • In Chile, 12% of agricultural production units reported using a technological tool such as mobile applications, drones, or sensors in 2021.[7]
  • In Canada, 84% of field-crop operations used GPS equipment in 2021.[7]
  • Across EU farms, 43% had internet access, 11% used farm-management information systems, and 7% used robotics in 2023.[7]

Cloud Computing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 37% used cloud computing in 2024, up from 26% in 2023.[5]
  • Among EU large businesses, 78% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023, compared with 44% of SMEs.[8]
  • Across EU businesses, 45% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023.[8]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 26% used cloud computing in 2023.[5]

Big Data in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 13% used big-data technologies in 2024, compared with 17% in 2023.[5]
  • In Germany, 5.0% of surveyed farms used artificial-intelligence or big-data technologies in 2024–2025.[7]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 17% used big-data technologies in 2023.[5]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Operational data use remains mixed, with 69% of food and beverage companies relying on spreadsheets and email for core operations in 2025. In field workflows, 70% of South Dakota producers used yield monitoring and mapping in 2021.

Business intelligence in the corn industry

  • 70% of surveyed South Dakota corn producers used yield monitoring and mapping in 2021.[9]
  • 31% of U.S. corn acres used yield maps in 2016.[2]
  • 63% of surveyed South Dakota corn producers used automatic section control in 2021.[9]
  • 47% of large commercial corn and soybean farms collecting data used at least one farm-data software product.[10]
  • 7% of U.S. corn acres used variable-rate pesticide application in 2016.[2]
  • 76% of surveyed South Dakota corn producers used auto-steering in 2021.[9]

Data analytics in the corn industry

  • 82% of surveyed commercial corn and soybean farms collected yield-monitor data.[10]
  • 25% of U.S. corn farms made a georeferenced yield map in 2010.[11]
  • 47% of surveyed commercial corn and soybean farms collected drone or satellite imagery data.[10]
  • 28% of U.S. corn acres used yield-monitor data to document yields in 2010.[11]
  • 20% of U.S. corn acres used yield-monitor data for on-farm experiments in 2010.[11]
  • 80% of surveyed farms with operators over age 65 collected yield-monitor data.[10]

Data Quality in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 49% of manufacturing respondents rated their operational data as having low AI readiness in 2024, meaning it was insufficiently labeled, contextualized, governed or accessible.[12]
  • 44% of manufacturers reported that AI projects had failed because of poor data quality in 2025, according to a survey of manufacturing organizations.[13]
  • 41% of manufacturers said they distrusted the data used for supply-chain operations in 2025, reflecting persistent data-quality concerns in production and procurement.[13]
  • 30% of manufacturing respondents identified poor-quality data as one of their top three challenges when working with AI-related data in 2024.[12]
  • 42% of manufacturers reported having a process to verify operational data accuracy or quality in 2025, indicating that most lacked a formal validation process.[12]

Data Governance in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 69% of food and beverage companies still relied on spreadsheets and email for core operations in 2025, limiting standardized access and control of business data.[14]
  • 61% of manufacturers reported having a corporate-wide governance plan, strategy or formal guidelines for how data is collected, organized, accessed and used in 2024.[12]
  • 40% of food and beverage professionals worldwide identified disconnected systems and data as their biggest barrier to moving faster in 2026.[14]
  • 6% of food and beverage leaders reported fully integrated digital systems in 2025, despite 82% saying technology adoption was a strategic priority.[14]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations reported having a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, while 90% agreed that data governance was necessary.[15]
  • 15% of manufacturers said their data strategy was entirely aligned with their overall business strategy in 2024, while 31% said it was very closely aligned.[12]

KPIs in the corn industry

  • 430.00 million metric tons was projected total U.S. corn supply in marketing year 2024/25.[16]
  • 380.76 million metric tons was projected total U.S. corn use in marketing year 2024/25.[16]
  • 138.44 million metric tons were projected for U.S. corn ethanol and co-product use in marketing year 2024/25.[16]
  • 161.41 dollars per metric ton was the projected average U.S. corn farm price in marketing year 2024/25.[16]
  • 11.49 metric tons per hectare was the projected U.S. corn yield in marketing year 2024/25.[16]
  • 44.72 million metric tons were beginning U.S. corn stocks in marketing year 2024/25.[16]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Ethanol demand is a major demand anchor in the U.S., with 45% of total corn use accounted for by ethanol. Export routes also matter, with 10%–20% of U.S. production exported in 2026.

Growth in the corn industry

  • 15,585 million bushels of U.S. corn production were projected for marketing year 2024/25, up from 15,341 million bushels in 2023/24.[17]
  • 5,900 million bushels of U.S. corn were projected for feed and residual use in 2025/26, up from 5,805 million bushels in 2022/23.[17]
  • 45% of total U.S. corn use is now accounted for by ethanol, making biofuels a major growth channel for the corn industry in 2026.[2]
  • 5,500 million bushels of U.S. corn were projected for ethanol and related products in 2025/26, compared with 5,478 million bushels in 2022/23.[17]
  • 10%–20% of U.S. corn production is exported, making overseas markets a continuing growth route for the U.S. corn industry in 2026.[2]
  • 90 million acres of corn are planted annually in the United States on average, supporting the industry’s production base in 2026.[2]

Differentiation in the corn industry

  • 15 new corn products were included in CROPLAN’s 2024 product class across 82–116 relative maturities, expanding its differentiated seed portfolio.[18]
  • 65% was the win rate of CROPLAN’s 2024 corn products against 2023 deployments in company comparisons.[18]
  • 45,245 acres of corn were inspected by Michigan Crop Improvement Association in 2024 under programs supporting certified and identity-preserved seed and grain.[19]
  • 300,000 tons of non-GMO white corn were procured for GRUMA in Mexico in 2024, creating a differentiated premium supply channel for U.S. growers.[16]
  • 32% was the year-over-year decline in inspected Michigan corn acres in 2024, partly attributed to products ineligible for foreign markets because of unapproved traits.[19]
  • $45,000 was invested in farm tours and advocacy supporting the differentiated U.S. non-GMO white-corn supply chain in 2024.[16]

Mergers and acquisitions in the corn industry

  • 1 January 2024 was the effective date of Cardinal Ethanol’s acquisition of substantially all assets of Element’s Colwich, Kansas ethanol facility.[20]
  • 50% was Cargill’s existing ownership interest in ProGold after its 2022 acquisition from American Crystal Sugar, before the planned purchase of Golden Growers’ stake.[21]
  • 7 facilities in the United States and Mexico were included in Bunge’s 2025 sale of its North American dry-corn and corn-masa milling business to Grain Craft.[22]
  • 6 U.S. states contained facilities in Bunge’s 2025 corn-milling transaction: Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Iowa, Texas and Kansas.[22]
  • $81 million was the announced price for Cargill’s planned acquisition of Golden Growers’ interest in the ProGold corn-milling plant, effective after the lease ends in 2026.[21]
  • 36 million bushels of regional corn were procured annually by the Necedah ethanol facility involved in United Cooperative’s acquisition.[23]

Strategic partnerships in the corn industry

  • 15% of U.S. corn supply came from Iowa in 2024, the regional base for the PepsiCo–Cargill corn-supply-chain partnership.[24]
  • 2030 is the target year for PepsiCo and Cargill to expand regenerative practices across their shared Iowa corn supply chain.[24]
  • 300,000 tons of non-GMO white corn were procured for GRUMA through the U.S. Grains Council’s 2024 market-access collaboration.[16]
  • 10 million acres is Cargill’s 2030 goal for advancing regenerative agriculture across North American farmland, including corn acreage.[24]
  • $66 million was the value of non-GMO white corn sales facilitated for GRUMA through the U.S. Grains Council collaboration in 2024.[16]
  • 675,000 acres of regeneratively grown corn, wheat and soy were farmed in the latest crop year under ADM’s re:generations program.[25]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce constraints persist in agribusiness hiring, with 65% of U.S. agricultural and food employers reporting difficulty finding candidates with necessary skills in 2025. U.S. corn refining employs 9,735 workers across seven member companies in 2026.

Hiring in the corn industry

  • 67.5% of agribusiness employers reported too few applicants for open positions, and 46.3% reported too few qualified applicants in the 2022 Agribusiness HR Review.[26]
  • 65% of U.S. agricultural and food employers reported difficulty finding candidates with the necessary skills in 2025, including employers involved in seed-corn production.[27]
  • 9,735 employees work for the seven member companies of the U.S. corn refining industry, according to the association’s industry overview for 2026.[28]
  • 38% of surveyed agricultural companies used social media to fill open positions in 2024, while nearly one-third operated employee-referral programs.[29]

Employee retention in the corn industry

  • 20%–35% is the reported employee-turnover range in agriculture, with much of the turnover occurring during the first 30–90 days.[9]
  • 51% of surveyed millennial food-and-agribusiness employees said changing employers was essential to meet their long-term goals.[9]
  • Two-thirds of surveyed agricultural workers said they were likely or highly likely to recommend working in agriculture in 2023.[30]
  • LifeLine Foods employs more than 185 people at its corn milling and manufacturing facility in Saint Joseph, Missouri.[31]
  • 10% was the 2024 turnover rate for operations and field jobs at companies surveyed by Western Growers.[29]

Remote Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, about 12% of workers worked remotely during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[32]
  • Across U.S. agriculture and food employers, 35% offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024, according to AgCareers’ industry hiring report.[33]
  • Across U.S. accommodation and food services, 4.8% of workers worked remotely in 2021, up from 1.9% in 2019 and 5.3% in 2020.[34]
  • Across U.S. crop and animal production, 14.4% of workers worked remotely in 2021, compared with 14.7% in 2019 and 15.4% in 2020.[34]

Hybrid Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 35% of U.S. agriculture and food employers offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024.[33]
  • 21% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals reported working fully remotely in 2024.[35]
  • Among science-of-food professionals surveyed in 2024, 36% reported having no work-at-home days per week.[36]
  • Across employers discussed in a food-industry hybrid-work survey, about 90% had adopted some form of hybrid work, although the figure was not limited to agriculture and food production.[36]
  • 84% of Australian agribusiness organisations planned no change to existing flexible or hybrid work arrangements in 2026.[37]

Upskilling in the corn industry

  • 50% is Ingredion’s target increase in average training hours per employee by the end of 2027.[38]
  • 100% of Ingredion employees, contractors and visitors are required to complete occupational-health-and-safety training applicable to their work.[38]
  • 85% of Ingredion employees assigned human-rights and Ethical Trading Initiative training completed it in 2024.[38]

Employee Engagement in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 60.9% on enablement in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[39]
  • In the agriculture industry, employees averaged 7.68 out of 10 for engagement and an eNPS of +5 in CultureMonkey’s 2026 benchmark.[40]
  • At Europe Snacks, a multinational food manufacturer, employee engagement reached 79% across its international workforce and 88% in its UK business after a structured listening program.[39]
  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 59.3% on leadership in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[39]
  • Manufacture, distribution and storage organizations recorded an average employee-engagement score of 72.9% in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[39]

DEI in the corn industry

  • 40.0% of Ingredion’s board members were women in 2023.[38]
  • 49% of U.S. crop workers had children in 2021–2022.[41]
  • 42% of U.S. crop workers were younger than 35 in 2021–2022.[41]
  • 37.1% of Ingredion managers and above were women in 2023.[38]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Corn demand shows purchase-channel and product-availability effects: 50% of farmers cite unavailable pricing as a digital purchasing pain point, while 36% report missing product details. Fresh-corn buying also shifted, with 34% of U.S. consumers buying fresh corn in 2025 versus 39.5% in 2024.

Customer experience in the corn industry

  • 34% of U.S. consumers bought fresh corn in the previous 12 months in 2025, down from 39.5% in 2024.[42]
  • 67% of U.S. fresh-corn purchasers bought only conventional corn in 2025, while 12% bought only organic and 18% bought both.[42]
  • 36% of U.S. respondents without dependent children bought fresh corn in 2025, compared with 32% of respondents with dependent children.[42]
  • 50% of farmers said unavailable pricing was a digital purchasing pain point, 41% cited difficulty comparing products and 36% cited missing product details in a farmer survey.[6]
  • 23% of U.S. fresh-corn purchasers had annual household incomes below $25,000 in 2025, up from 19.3% in 2024.[42]

Customer retention in the corn industry

  • 27% was the reported probability that a first-time seed buyer would return for a second purchase, according to a source cited in Corteva’s 2025 loyalty article.[43]
  • 9% was the higher retention rate for U.S. corn customers actively using FieldView Plus compared with non-users, based on Bayer data from 2018–2021.[44]
  • 54% was the reported probability that a second-time buyer would purchase again, according to a source cited in Corteva’s 2025 loyalty article.[43]
  • 4.8% was the increase in Bayer corn-seed share of farm among FieldView users in the 2016–2017 data comparison.[45]
  • 5.5% was the increase in Bayer corn-seed share of farm among FieldView-engaged corn farmers between 2016 and 2017, based on 4,072 farmers.[45]

Customer acquisition in the corn industry

  • 30% of potential seed-brand touchpoints among corn and soybean farmers came from traditional media, including print, radio, direct mail and television, in Stratus Research’s study.[46]
  • 300 corn and soybean growers in 12 north-central U.S. states were interviewed in Syngenta research on trade-show attendance and marketing tactics.[47]
  • 18% of grower-customers at leading U.S. agricultural retailers bought seed because it was the type they had always purchased and the retailer kept it in stock.[48]
  • 21% of grower-customers at leading U.S. agricultural retailers selected seed based on soil type, according to the 2025 CropLife 100 survey.[48]
  • 5,000 data points on corn and soybean farmer interactions with seed brands had been collected by Stratus Research since 2022.[46]

Customer loyalty in the corn industry

  • 68% of large commercial crop producers reported loyalty to seed brands in a Purdue agribusiness survey.[49]
  • 35% of large farmers ranked the supplier relationship first or second among seed-purchase influences in Purdue’s 2023 study.[43]
  • 47.7% of convenience-oriented agricultural producers considered themselves loyal to the seed brands they purchased in a U.S. commercial-producer study.[50]
  • 13 percentage points was the estimated increase in brand-loyalty probability when producers reported that food-safety regulations affected input decisions.[50]
  • 57% of large farmers ranked seed price second among seed-purchase influences in Purdue’s 2023 study.[43]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Corn marketing reaches buyers through digital habits: 76% of farmers used mobile devices daily in the United Kingdom in 2024, and 90% watched YouTube at least monthly in 2023. Nebraska Corn Board’s campaign generated 14.2 million views in 2024.

Marketing in the corn industry

  • 67% of farmers identified agronomists as influencing purchasing decisions in the United Kingdom in 2023.[51]
  • 78% of farmers bought or sold online at least several times per month in the United Kingdom in 2024.[51]
  • 77% of farmers said websites influenced their purchasing decisions in the United Kingdom in 2023.[51]
  • 76% of farmers were online after 6 p.m. in the United Kingdom in 2023, making evening a major marketing window.[51]
  • 14.2 million views were generated by Nebraska Corn Board’s Del and Ed media campaign in 2024.[52]

Digital marketing in the corn industry

  • 90% of farmers watched YouTube at least monthly in the United Kingdom in 2023.[51]
  • 76% of farmers used mobile devices daily to go online in the United Kingdom in 2024.[51]
  • 82% of farmers checked email daily in the United Kingdom in 2023.[51]
  • 26% of farmers used farming apps daily in the United Kingdom in 2024.[51]
  • 76% of farmers checked email daily in the United Kingdom in 2024.[51]

Branding in the corn industry

  • 13.89% was the average high engagement rate achieved by Tennessee Corn from June through December 2025.[53]
  • 2 on-farm photo and video shoots were conducted for Tennessee Corn’s Fueled By Corn campaign in 2023.[53]
  • 56% lower water use was highlighted in Nebraska Corn Board messaging about Nebraska corn production since 2000.[52]
  • 151.7% growth in total impressions was achieved by Tennessee Corn from June through December 2025.[53]
  • 91 new followers were gained by Tennessee Corn from June through December 2025 after adopting farmer-led storytelling.[53]

Social media in the corn industry

  • 29% of farmers used Instagram daily in the United Kingdom in 2023.[51]
  • 55% of farmers spent more than one hour per day on social media in the United Kingdom in 2023.[51]
  • 83% of Canadian growers who used social media regularly used Facebook in the first quarter of 2025.[54]
  • 77% of farmers followed farming influencers on social media in the United Kingdom in 2023.[51]
  • 53% of farmers used Facebook daily in the United Kingdom in 2023.[51]

Influencer Marketing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Food and drink influencer content involved 78,800 profiles globally in 2023, based on Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[55]
  • 11.5 million influencer posts covered food and drink globally in 2023, according to Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[55]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 42.7 billion engagements globally in 2023.[55]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 392 billion impressions globally in 2023.[55]
  • Food and drink influencer content produced an estimated $122 billion in earned media value globally in 2023.[55]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Export throughput is shaped by logistics and quality screening, including 141.16 million metric tons of U.S. grain inspected for export in 2025. U.S. corn inventories also stayed elevated, with 2.10 billion bushels held on September 1, 2026.

Process optimization in the corn industry

  • 384.64 million metric tons was the projected production of the 2024 U.S. corn crop, described as the country’s third-largest crop on record.[16]
  • 75.8 kilograms per hectoliter was the average 2024 U.S. corn test weight reported by the Council’s harvest survey.[16]
  • 10 million additional bushels is the further annual corn-processing increase ADM expects from its second Columbus, Nebraska, investment phase beginning in late 2026.[56]
  • 10 million additional bushels is ADM’s expected increase in Columbus, Nebraska, corn processing during 2026 after equipment upgrades and modernization projects.[56]
  • 0.6% was the average broken corn and foreign material level in the 2024 U.S. corn harvest, below the five-year average reported by the Council.[16]

Operational efficiency in the corn industry

  • 10 million bushels is the amount ADM expects Columbus, Nebraska, to process above its 2025 level during 2026.[56]
  • 51% of U.S. grain export shipments left through the U.S. Gulf in 2025, the largest share among reported port regions.[57]
  • 30% was the increase in total U.S. grain inspected for export in 2025 compared with 2023.[57]
  • 6% was the increase in total U.S. grain inspected for export in 2025 compared with 2024.[57]
  • 21% of U.S. grain export shipments left through other port regions in 2025.[57]

Quality management in the corn industry

  • 14.6% was the average moisture content of 2024 corn in the Southern Rail Export Catchment Area.[16]
  • 98.3% of 2024 U.S. corn harvest samples tested below the FDA’s strictest guidance level of 5.0 parts per million for fumonisin.[16]
  • 58.3 pounds per bushel was the average test weight of 2024/2025 U.S. corn export samples.[16]
  • 15.6% was the average moisture content of 2024 corn in the Gulf Export Catchment Area.[16]
  • 15.3% was the average moisture content of the 2024 U.S. corn harvest.[16]

Supply chain in the corn industry

  • 97% was the increase in U.S. corn export inspections in 2025 compared with 2023.[57]
  • 40% was the increase in U.S. corn export inspections in 2025 compared with 2024.[57]
  • 21% of U.S. grain export shipments moved through other U.S. port regions in 2025.[57]
  • 60% of U.S. grain exports are transported by barge down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, according to reporting citing grain-transportation industry data.[58]
  • 141.16 million metric tons of U.S. grain were inspected for export in 2025.[57]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 66% of Queensland food-processing businesses engaged in contract manufacturing to some extent in 2010, including contracting work in or out.[59]
  • 2% of Canadian food and beverage companies outsourced production entirely to third-party manufacturers in 2020.[60]
  • 49% of U.S. growers surveyed outsourced at least some farm work to third-party service providers in 2022, with spraying services the most commonly outsourced activity.[61]
  • About 12% of firms in the 11-country World Bank Firm-level Adoption of Technology sample outsourced at least one food-processing function, compared with about 18% in apparel.[62]
  • 85% of Canadian food and beverage companies processed or manufactured products internally in 2020, while 13% both produced internally and outsourced production.[60]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Corn pricing remains sensitive to cost and demand inputs, and USDA’s September 2026 forecast puts the 2026/27 U.S. season-average farm price at $4.80 per bushel. Budgeted costs also vary by input, with $213.86 per acre estimated fertilizer-and-lime expense in Tennessee’s 2024 budget.

Pricing strategy in the corn industry

  • 75% of anticipated corn production was targeted for pricing by mid-June in a 2024 Minnesota pre-harvest marketing plan.[63]
  • $0.30 to $0.60 per bushel were reported premiums for specialty corn contracts over conventional yellow corn, depending on quality requirements.[64]
  • $4.22 per bushel was Agtegra’s listed 2025 corn price for the comparison pricing period on its contract page.[65]
  • $4.45 per bushel was Agtegra’s listed 2025 corn price for its market-base-builder pricing period.[65]
  • $4.80 per bushel was USDA’s September 2026 forecast for the 2026/27 U.S. corn season-average farm price.[2]

Cost reduction in the corn industry

  • $62 per acre was the projected 2027 repairs expense in the University of Minnesota central Minnesota corn budget.[66]
  • $35 per acre was the projected 2027 fuel expense in the University of Minnesota central Minnesota corn budget.[66]
  • $213.86 per acre was the estimated fertilizer-and-lime expense in Tennessee’s 2024 conventional-tillage, non-irrigated corn budget.[67]
  • $51.47 per acre was the estimated repair-and-maintenance expense in Tennessee’s 2024 conventional-tillage, non-irrigated corn budget.[67]
  • $205 per acre was the projected 2027 land-rent expense in the University of Minnesota central Minnesota corn budget.[66]

Profitability in the corn industry

  • $145.97 per acre was the 2024 return to land for Ohio corn yielding 182 bushels per acre.[68]
  • $89 per acre was Purdue’s estimated 2025 contribution margin for continuous corn on average-productivity soil.[10]
  • $267.37 per acre was the 2024 return to land for Ohio corn yielding 218 bushels per acre.[68]
  • $710.64 per acre was Missouri’s projected 2025 dryland corn grain-sales income.[69]
  • $95.52 per acre was the five-year-average net income for central Minnesota corn in the University of Minnesota budget.[66]

Financial planning in the corn industry

  • $318.76 per acre was Tennessee’s 2024 projected return above variable expenses for conventional-tillage, non-irrigated corn.[67]
  • $180 per acre was North Carolina’s 2024 estimated fertilizer cost for high-yield history corn at 180 bushels per acre.[70]
  • $5.95 per bushel was North Carolina’s 2024 planning price for high-yield history corn.[70]
  • $5.60 per bushel was Purdue’s estimated 2025 corn breakeven price for low-productivity soil.[10]
  • $1,071 per acre was North Carolina’s 2024 projected gross receipt for high-yield history corn at 180 bushels per acre.[70]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Product changes include biotechnology and hybrid pipeline activity: Bayer planned to launch Preceon Smart Corn System as a biotechnology trait in 2027. In 2024, more than 290 new corn seed hybrids were developed by Bayer.

Product development in the corn industry

  • Bayer planned to launch Preceon Smart Corn System as a biotechnology trait in 2027.[44]
  • Corteva reported that Utrisha N increased corn yield by 4.4 bushels per acre in Brazil trials.[71]
  • Corteva is developing corn seed producing plants approximately 30% shorter than conventional corn, targeting improved weather resilience and input placement.[71]
  • More than 290 new corn seed hybrids were developed by Bayer for 2024, covering North America, Latin America and Europe.[44]
  • Corteva launched an average of more than 300 seed products annually during the five years through 2024.[43]

Product lifecycle in the corn industry

  • U.S. corn yield was projected at 183.1 bushels per harvested acre for marketing year 2024/25.[72]
  • U.S. corn feed and residual use was projected at 5.825 billion bushels in marketing year 2024/25.[72]
  • Fuel ethanol accounted for 36% of total U.S. corn use in marketing year 2024/25.[2]
  • U.S. corn growers planted 90.7 million acres in the 2024 crop year.[72]
  • U.S. ethanol exports to Canada increased from 322 million gallons in 2019/20 to 758 million gallons in 2024/25.[2]

After-sales in the corn industry

  • John Deere reported 197 million sustainably engaged acres in its 2024 environmental and social highlights.[38]
  • John Deere reported 455 million connected machines in its 2024 environmental and social highlights.[38]
  • Bayer introduced a hybrid farmer-training model combining virtual formats and in-person events in 2025.[73]
  • Pioneer’s Technical Services team originally consisted of five agronomists when established in 1962 to support corn growers.[74]
  • John Deere reported 125 million highly engaged acres in its 2024 environmental and social highlights.[38]

Value proposition in the corn industry

  • Soy-related ingredients represented 14% of compounded feed consumed by the U.S. animal-feed industry.[75]
  • An average-sized wet mill’s starch extractability increases in value by roughly $1 million for every 1-percentage-point gain.[76]
  • Corn and corn-related products made up 70% of compounded feed consumed by the U.S. animal-feed industry.[75]
  • U.S. corn’s starch-extractability advantage could be worth $2 million to $4 million annually for a single average-sized wet-milling facility.[76]
  • Food, seed and industrial uses account for close to 60% of total U.S. domestic corn use.[2]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability results include measured water and emissions progress, with Cargill reporting 3.4 billion liters of water availability increased through regenerative-agriculture programs in 2023. The U.S. corn-refining industry emitted 15.0 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent in 2022.

Sustainability in the corn industry

  • 88% higher yields were achieved by U.S. corn production in 2020 than in 1980.[16]
  • 15% higher irrigation-water efficiency is targeted for U.S. corn by 2030 versus 2020.[77]
  • 40% less soil erosion per acre was associated with U.S. corn production in 2020 than in 1980.[77]
  • 13% greater energy-use efficiency is targeted for U.S. corn by 2030 versus 2020.[77]
  • 56% greater irrigation-water efficiency was achieved in U.S. corn production from 1980 through 2020.[16]

ESG in the corn industry

  • 3.4 billion liters of water availability were increased in Cargill supply chains through 2023 regenerative-agriculture programs.[28]
  • More than 1.2 million acres of corn were covered by Primient’s sustainable-agriculture program in 2023.[28]
  • 880,000 acres of North American agricultural land were enrolled in Cargill regenerative-agriculture programs in 2023.[28]
  • More than 60 metric tons of pollutants were reduced by Cargill’s 2023 regenerative-agriculture programs.[28]
  • 25% of Ingredion’s Tier 1 priority crops were sustainably sourced five years before its 2025 report.[78]

Ethics in the corn industry

  • 5 people were killed in the 2017 Didion Milling corn-plant explosion, according to the subsequent criminal case.[58]
  • 64% lower recordable incident rates were reported by Corn Refiners Association members in 2023 than in 2003.[28]

CSR in the corn industry

  • 1.2 million-plus acres of corn were included in Primient’s farmer sustainability and stewardship program in 2023.[28]
  • 3.4 billion liters of water availability were generated for Cargill supply chains through regenerative-agriculture programs in 2023.[28]
  • 60 metric tons-plus of pollutants were reduced through Cargill regenerative-agriculture programs in 2023.[28]

Circular economy in the corn industry

  • 18% of major energy use in corn refining was associated with steepwater evaporation in 2022.[28]
  • 10% of major energy use in corn refining was associated with fiber washing and drying in 2022.[28]
  • 30% of major energy use in corn refining was associated with starch drying in 2022.[28]
  • 26% of major energy use in corn refining was associated with gluten dewatering and drying in 2022.[28]
  • 9% of major energy use in corn refining was associated with corn handling, steeping, germ separation, feed drying, milling and starch-gluten separation in 2022.[28]

Carbon footprint in the corn industry

  • 18.0 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent were emitted by the U.S. corn-refining industry in 2011, according to the industry chart.[28]
  • 48% fewer pounds of CO2 per bushel were associated with U.S. corn production in 2020 than in 1980.[16]
  • 15.0 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent were emitted by the U.S. corn-refining industry in 2022, according to the industry chart.[28]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Trade expansion is visible in import forecasts, including 22.1 million metric tons of corn imports into Mexico for 2026/27. On the production side, the U.S. corn export value to Mexico was $5.93 billion in 2025.

Globalization in the corn industry

  • 19.5 million metric tons of corn imports were forecast for Japan in 2026/27, October 2026.[86]
  • 11 million metric tons of corn imports were forecast for Iran in 2026/27, October 2026.[86]
  • 156 countries reported maize exports in 2024, with world export value of $47.6 billion.[87]
  • 22.1 million metric tons of corn imports were forecast for Mexico in 2026/27, October 2026.[86]
  • 17 million metric tons of corn imports were forecast for the European Union in 2026/27, October 2026.[86]

Cultural adaptation in the corn industry

  • 54% of maize production in Africa was used as food during 2014–2018.[88]
  • 2.8% per year was projected growth in African maize food consumption for 2025–2034, reflecting regional dietary demand.[7]
  • 7.6 kilograms per person per year was average maize food consumption in Europe during 2014–2018.[89]
  • 45.1 kilograms per person per year was average maize food consumption in Africa during 2014–2018.[89]
  • 328 grams per person per day was estimated maize consumption in Lesotho in 2009.[90]

Supplier management in the corn industry

  • 35.7 million metric tons of oilseeds were processed by ADM in 2024 alongside its corn operations.[56]
  • 18.5 million metric tons of corn were processed by ADM in 2024, reflecting its upstream supply relationship with growers and originators.[56]
  • 60 farmers were recruited in 2024 for PepsiCo’s Nebraska high-fructose-corn sustainable sourcing project.[91]
  • 44,000 employees worked for ADM in 2024 across its global agricultural supply and processing network.[56]
  • 68 innovation centers were operated by ADM in 2024 to support products and agricultural supply relationships.[56]

Stakeholder management in the corn industry

  • 11 impact categories were identified in the Corn Sustainability Assurance Protocol for environmental, labor, safety and community management.[77]
  • 7.5 million metric tons of yellow corn carried sustainability export certificates at the midpoint of 2024/25.[77]
  • 18.2 million metric tons of U.S. corn products had been exported with Records of Sustainability by 2025.[77]
  • 44% less land per bushel was required for U.S. grain corn in 2021 than in 1980.[77]
  • 56% less water per bushel was required for U.S. grain corn in 2021 than in 1980.[77]

Distribution channels in the corn industry

  • 5.93 billion dollars was the value of U.S. corn exports to Mexico in 2025, the largest listed market.[92]
  • 1.85 billion dollars was the value of U.S. corn exports to South Korea in 2025.[92]
  • 3.46 billion dollars was the value of U.S. corn exports to Japan in 2025.[92]
  • 2.8 gallons of ethanol and about 17 pounds of dried distillers grains were produced from one bushel of corn.[93]
  • 2,600 barges formed part of ADM’s transportation fleet in 2024 for moving corn and other agricultural commodities.[56]

16 Statistics

Regional markets

U.S. acreage moved lower in 2026, with 95.3 million acres planted, down 3% from 2025. Harvest expectations were 87.4 million acres for grain, with old-crop stocks at 2.10 billion bushels on September 1, 2026.

The corn industry in United States

  • 95.3 million acres of corn were planted in the United States in 2026, down 3% from 2025; 87.4 million acres were expected to be harvested for grain.[1]
  • $38.2 billion was the value of U.S. bulk soybean and corn exports in 2024, supporting an additional $34.0 billion in domestic economic activity.[2]
  • 2.10 billion bushels of old-crop corn were held in U.S. stocks on September 1, 2026, up 35% from September 1, 2025.[94]
  • 92% of corn acres planted in the United States used biotech varieties in 2026, down from 2025.[1]

Key questions about the corn industry

What is the 2026/27 global corn market size and output outlook?
The global corn market size was $297.27 billion in 2023, while USDA forecasts world corn production at 1,320.5 million metric tons for the 2026/27 marketing year.
How fast is the global corn market expected to grow toward 2030?
Grand View Research projects the global corn market reaching $377.27 billion by 2030, implying a 3.6% compound annual growth rate from 2024 to 2030.
Which companies lead the corn industry?
Cargill stands out for grain trading, processing and products because it connects farmers with markets and produces food, feed and agricultural products, while Bunge focuses on global grain merchandising and agricultural processing since it reports 2.2% operating margin.
What technology shifts are showing up in corn production and analytics?
Variable-rate technology was used by 32% of midsize U.S. crop-producing farms in 2023, while yield prediction models in 2026 show R² values up to 0.85 in linear regression and 0.83 in random-forest.
How concentrated is corn trade supply and what role do key origin countries play?
Global export supply is concentrated among the United States, Argentina and Brazil, forecast to account for approximately 165 million metric tons of 2026/27 exports.
How do inventories and pricing pressures look heading into 2026?
U.S. old-crop corn stocks were 2.10 billion bushels on September 1, 2026, up 35% year over year, and pricing remains sensitive to production, stocks, fertilizer costs and export demand.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Corn Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/corn-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Corn Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/corn-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Corn Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/corn-industry-statistics.

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